A Bree-illiant victory

Bree and Kilrush played out an absorbing final in this year’s Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League Roinn B Girls’ Football Final despite the one sided scoreline. In a free flowing affair, both sets of girls keenly contested the match over the hour. It was a final where both sets of backs were firmly on top but when it mattered Bree had that little bit more cutting edge up front.

Indeed, Bree started off very lively and had three points on the board within the first five minutes. Impressive forward Grace Donohoe opened the scoring when she picked up a loose ball and put over a well taken point. Powerhouse midfielder Amy Doyle followed her lead by scoring herself and then setting up her teammate Amelia Furlong for a left footed finish.

This period of dominance continued for most of the first half as Bree cleverly retained possession and constantly drove into Kilrush territory. Bree had players in top form all over the field but defenders Emma Ennis and Ciara Byrne showed some great attacking and defensive play from the backs. Kilrush on the other hand were struggling in the greasy conditions and chances were proving hard to come by. Just before half time, Amy Doyle hit another trio of points to double her team’s lead and leave Kilrush scratching their heads for answers.

In the second half, a tight Kilrush defence led by full back Shauna MacSweeney kept Bree to one point from play. What a point it was though as Grace Donohoe slalomed through several defenders to get the score of the match. Bree had to be content with further frees from Amy Doyle to slowly build their lead. Crucially, Kilrush failed to threaten the Bree goal and this ultimately was their downfall. In fact, an excellent save from Laura Kehoe late in the game ensured that Kilrush kept a clean sheet in the final.

There was little disappointment for Kilrush on the night though as they could still hold their heads high for the simple act of reaching the final. They only came up to the higher division this year after a fantastic Roinn C victory last year. Reaching the Roinn B final in their debut season was an impressive feat. Bree on the other hand continue their recent run of success in the Roinn B division with a second title in three years.